This enriched dough includes egg and the filling is Feta cheese. You can choose to bake them or deep fry.

They make a nutritious lunchbox or picnic snack.

Cooks Know How:

Doughnuts imply deep frying as a method of cooking. I think they are just as nice baked. Try both ways!

The dough is enriched with an egg and butter which makes it soft and tender when cooked. The idea is not to work the dough too much. Mix up the dough and keep it a soft texture. The yeast will work on the tiny amount of sugar and begin to produce gas making the dough puffy. This is a good sign that carbon di-oxide is raising the dough. Divide the dough into portions the size you want, remembering they will double in size when they rise. Add the cube of Feta cheese or other ingredient of your choice and wrap the dough round, pinching the join to ensure a good seal. Place with the smooth size of the roll uppermost and leave on parchment paper on a baking tray to rise. A warm kitchen is usually enough to make the doughnuts prove.

When they are wobbly to touch, a sign that the gas is trapped in the dough you need to cook them quickly either by deep frying or baking. In either case the dough will cook so that the gluten in the flour sets. The outer crust will turn golden, more so in the case of deep frying because of the hot fat. Turn the doughnuts as they cook if you deep fry so that the browning is even all over.

If you bake them, use a hot oven and once they are firm and golden bring them out and brush quickly with melted butter. You can pop then back in the oven to brown a little more. Sprinkle the cooked doughnuts with sea salt or seeds immediately they are cooked and whilst they are hot. Cool on wire racks.

Next Time

Change the filling by using an alternative cheese such as gruyere. Try changing the filling to chorizo or pitted olives. Dust the outside of the freshly cooked doughnuts with mild paprika.